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Dangerous Images – Help Operation Lifesaver Fight “Bad Ads”


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 21 January 2015 - 03:39 PM

Operation Lifesaver "Trains of Thought" blog, 1/20:

 

Dangerous Images – Help Operation Lifesaver Fight “Bad Ads”

 

 

Lexus_ad_screenshot_thumb-323x239.jpg

Screenshot of Lexus commercial

 

We see them every day, in TV commercials, Instagram posts, and magazines: images of people putting themselves in danger by walking, lying down, getting married, or otherwise posing on railroad tracks.

 

Movies and video games portray people jumping on and off moving trains and children walking along the tracks as nostalgic songs play in the background. All of these images glorify unsafe behavior around railroads and trains while rarely portraying the terrible consequences.

 

Railroad tracks and trains have a strong mystique: they are romantic symbols of America's past, engineering marvels, and powerful machines. These factors make it tempting to use trains and tracks in advertising, television and movies.

 

The reality is that being on train tracks can be deadly—as evidenced by the recent fatal incident involving fitness expert and reality TV star Greg Plitt—and is also illegal. Each year, hundreds of people are injured or killed while trespassing on railroad property. Unfortunately it often takes a large-scale tragedy or celebrity death to bring attention to a safety issue such as this.

 

At Operation Lifesaver, we educate the public about how to be safe around railroad tracks. Our nationwide network of volunteers make safety presentations in schools and to professional drivers, and we offer e-learning programs to expand our reach even further. And when we see depictions of unsafe behavior, especially those with a national reach, we respond with a "Bad Ad" letter, asking advertisers and producers to stop using images that send the wrong safety message and might tempt people to illegally trespass, too.

 

Sometimes the message sticks and we are successful in convincing a company to change their materials. Operation Lifesaver wrote to Lexus to object to their national TV ad showing an impatient Lexus driver starting through a crossing before the crossing arms had been fully raised after a train had passed. Lexus responded with a positive email, and changed the ad to remove the unsafe behavior.

 

There are hundreds more depictions of dangerous trespassing out there. Here’s how you can help Operation Lifesaver fight “Bad Ads.”

  • Share our “Bad Ad” letters on Facebook or Pinterest

  • Contact your OL State Coordinator when a local business uses unsafe photos in their advertising

  • Write your own letter or email to advertisers or businesses who use unsafe rail-related images in their promotional materials – if more people voice concerns, it increases the likelihood that the company will consider making a change to help save lives.

Together we can spread this safety message to prevent injuries and deaths on the tracks.






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